History tells us the best coaches had plenty of both, while possessing an innate ability to get their teams over the line when it mattered most.

The game is littered with examples, but Malcolm Blight is among the most recent.

There was no way the Crows were the best team in the competition in 1997 and 1998, yet Blight managed to take them to back-to-back flags. Adelaide’s playing group and coach were simply in sync and it enabled Blight to get the best out of the Crows at the right time of the year.

Getting sides to gel and perform isn’t just about barking instructions at training and outsmarting your opponent on game day.

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Coaches are akin to psychologists. They have to get inside every player's head, know what makes him tick, then pull all that together over a season that effectively stretches for 10 months.

It’s a monumental job and while the coaching landscape may have changed over the past decade, the inherent qualities that define the best remain. From the outside looking in, these are the best and the brightest coaches.

The best

Mick Malthouse

More than 700 games almost says it all, and few will deny he is both feared and respected. Mick’s great ability to understand his playing group – both its strengths and weaknesses – has yielded extraordinary consistency. When he took over West Coast he understood that he had an elite group of defenders, so he built his side around them. Sure, he had some stars elsewhere, but that side was built on defence and it led them to 10 consecutive finals series that netted two flags.

Likewise at Collingwood, he quickly summed up his playing group and formed a game plan that resulted in almost immediate success. The Magpies weren’t the second best team in the competition in 2002 and 2003, yet Malthouse led them to two grand finals where they nearly pinched a flag from one of the best sides the game has seen, Brisbane.

Malthouse understands what players he has and adjusts accordingly. Carlton’s performances may seem erratic, but I believe it’s more to do with personnel and injuries. Malthouse is definitely the right man to coach the Blues for the next five years if that’s what he wants to do. There’s no one better equipped to do it.

Alastair Clarkson

I played with Alastair and he was a tough, hard-working footballer who could do a job anywhere on the ground. He always gave 100 per cent, and that’s what he’s taken into his coaching – a willingness to work hard for results. He demands effort. From that comes respect and, in turn, fear. He has also been one of the pioneers of coaching in the past 10 years, in terms of his strategies. That includes his game style and recruitment. He was appointed the Hawks’ senior coach after a lengthy apprenticeship and in his first year he nabbed Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin. He then went for good ball-users before developing a game plan that resulted in premierships in 2008 and 2013. That structure continues to stand up in the midst of injury and illness this season.

Ross Lyon

Similar to Clarko in that he was a tough, hard player who also served a solid apprenticeship (under Paul Roos at Sydney). What he did with St Kilda was quite remarkable. He inherited some really good footballers, but it was his ability to lift that entire playing group that made them an exceptional team. There was no such thing as a soft contest against the Saints. They simply gave their all week in, week out, and they were incredibly unlucky to miss winning two grand finals. I love the way Lyon goes about it. He’s fair and honest. There’s a standard that’s set and if you don’t perform to that standard, you hear it straight. Nick Dal Santo might testify to that. He was apparently shown a video of himself going for the ball 10 times in front of his teammates and warned that if he repeated the sub-standard effort he’d never play for the Saints again. Dal got dropped that week, but was never dropped again. Again, respect and fear.

Paul Roos

If we are to believe what we hear, Paul Roos "stole" the job at Sydney from Terry Wallace and may have faced some discontent early on. But how right were the Swans with their decision? Roos is arguably the smoothest and coolest coach the game has ever seen. You rarely see him flustered. He always seems in control. Sydney already had a pretty good culture, but Roos took it to another level. The entire club bought into his way and what he was trying to achieve – that if they played as a team, success would come. That’s exactly how the Swans won in 2005 and avoided sliding when most thought they would. His influence is evident right now at Melbourne. The Demons have become competitive again. They’re no longer pushovers. Once again, in a different way, the Demons players absolutely respect and fear Roos. They wouldn’t dare not do their best for him.

Future greats

John Longmire

Has already got a premiership with Sydney and if it wins it again he could almost slide into the game’s best coaches. I, for one, thought Sydney would slide after Roos left. With a number of players at the back end of their careers, there were genuine doubts it could sustain its levels of success. Yet Longmire hasn’t just been able to maintain the club’s fantastic culture, he’s been able to foster and develop a generation-next. The Swans and their coach are admired and respected by the entire competition and there’s every chance they could be premiers once again in 2014.

Ken Hinkley

Has proven in a very short time at Port Adelaide that he has the respect of the entire playing group. Hinkley demands an uncompromising level of professionalism, hard work and dedication. That comes from a guy who has done a massive apprenticeship and listened and learnt along the way. It shows you can’t write anyone off just because they have never previously been given a go at a top job. In stark contrast, it can really work in their favour because of the experience they’ve had. Hinkley is also feared.

Nathan Buckley

Bucks put his stamp on Collingwood straight away. He wanted to make it his team and culled the list, much to the surprise of a few people. He also demanded certain standards be met, again putting a few noses out of joint. I honestly believed he was making the same mistake he made as a captain – that it was his way or the highway – but he really deserves praise. Bucks has transformed this young side (with a defence of rookies) into a genuinely competitive outfit. Whatever the Magpies do from here on in, Bucks has to be commended for what he has achieved in such a small amount of time. Again, his hardness translates into fear.

Chris Scott

Like Johnny Longmire, the Cats coach has already won a premiership. Mark Thompson had left the club and everyone thought the Cats would slide, that they were no chance to win another flag. While their success that year says a lot about the resilience of the playing group, Chris set his own agenda and provided fresh enthusiasm. He was able to harness their talent and get them to go again. They remain one of the best teams going around.

Brad Scott

Like his brother, Brad Scott is also an uncompromising character and, despite his recent run-in with Tom Rockliff, I like the way he goes about his business. He has certainly shown a willingness to try new things. While the Kangaroos have been an attacking, free-flowing side in recent seasons, this year they have almost been the opposite. His challenge now is to find the balance and bring more consistency.

Coaching is a torrid affair and only the tough survive. The men I’ve listed are all strong, determined characters who have a rare ability to connect with people. They are qualities great coaches must possess.